Widespread flash floods unleashed by heavy rain in Australia have swept cars off the road and drowned motorists, including an emergency services volunteer.
Photo: Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
'Intense and dangerous weather system' - Queensland official
Weather officials warned a major flood was unfolding in Queensland, with severe storms expected to persist into Sunday, threatening to push waters in the state's major Mary river system beyond a level of 21.95m. It's a level not seen since 1999.
"This is going to exceed an event that hasn't happened in at least 20 to 25 years," Bureau of Meteorology forecaster David Grant told a briefing.
"This is a very intense and dangerous weather system sitting over southeast Queensland at the moment," said Greg Leach, head of the state's fire and emergency services.
"There is no sign of it easing up."
A volunteer died when flood waters swept a car off the road that was carrying an emergency team responding to a call for help. Three other occupants were rescued, he said.
A body was retrieved from floodwaters in the capital of Brisbane on Friday, and others have been reported missing in the floodwaters.
More flooding to come for NSW
Torrential rain is again expected to hit New South Wales' northern region as a massive weather system in Queensland makes its way south.
Residents are being warned to prepare, with the NSW Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issuing a severe weather warning for heavy rain all the way from the Queensland border to Port Macquarie.
Forecaster Jonathan How from the NSW BOM said rain had continued overnight and rivers were saturated.
A man died in a rural part of the Central Coast region in NSW yesterday after his four-wheel drive was one of many to get stuck in "quickly" rising floodwaters.
Emergency services were called to a road in Matcham after midnight, following reports a 54-year-old man had gone missing.
After several hours of searching, police found a car in a low-lying creek with the man's body inside.
The area recorded several hours of heavy rain last night.
The Central Coast SES Unit had 180 call outs around the Gosford area, with about 150 millimetres of rain falling in just a few hours.
"Numerous roads went under all at the same time, cars floating away," SES controller Rolf Garda said.
-Reuters/ ABC